Vibrating screens are typically used in the mining, quarrying, and mineral processing industries to separate materials, such as coal, by size. A vibrating screen typically has a chassis with screen panels. The chassis is typically rigid with various support members to ensure structural integrity. The chassis is mounted on springs, or the like, and has vibrators which cause the chassis, and therefore the screen panels, to vibrate. The screen panels have apertures which allow smaller sized material to pass through. In use, the chassis vibrates and material is passed over the screen panels and smaller material is separated from larger material as it passes through the apertures in the screen panels.
The vibratory forces are relatively large and the vibrating screen therefore needs to be built to withstand significant forces, particularly should any components achieve resonance. Typically the chassis of vibrating screens are engineered to be sturdy by using heavy duty components and adding support members and reinforcing to the chassis which adds costs, complexity, and weight to the vibrating screen.
A pair of vibrators are normally connected to sides walls of the chassis via a vibrator support beam. This vibrator support beam is particularly expensive as it is fabricated to exacting standards. This increases costs, complexity, and weight further.
Additionally, the vibratory forces from the vibrators have to be transferred to the chassis and then to the screen panels. In achieving this transfer, regions of weakness can occur in critical components of the chassis.
It will be clearly understood that any reference herein to background material or information, or to a prior publication, does not constitute an admission that any material, information or publication forms part of the common general knowledge in the art, or is otherwise admissible prior art, whether in Australia or in any other country.